Malak Abdelshafi

Started: She began swimming at age five at the Maadi Club in Cairo, Egypt. "I joined the national team in 2014 as the youngest swimmer in the team, I was only 11 years old at the time." (cairogyms.com, 06 Mar 2023; Athlete, 25 Aug 2021) Reason: She was introduced to hydrotherapy as part of her rehabilitation. "I did not plan to swim professionally. During my hydrotherapy sessions, my trainer said I was talented and pushed me to compete. My first championship was in 2012 with my club and I won a silver medal. I was nine years old then and the youngest among the participants. We were all surprised and did not expect it at all. Since then, I decided to pursue a professional track in swimming." (egypt.unwomen.org, 15 Oct 2020) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (youmeg.com, 01 Dec 2021)